Clark Willcox

The Digital Recruiter

𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗥𝗨𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗥 -
𝘋𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 
Digital Recruiter Academy 
Linkedin Sprint - set up and running in 6 weeks.  

Since I started the Digital Recruiter in October of 2021, I've generated millions of impressions from LinkedIn content & averaged 20-30 inbound calls per month. Not once have I gone viral because it's not necessary to generate revenue.

We've helped 100's of recruiters on becoming micro influencers to help them generate outbound & inbound leads with better quality clients & candidates. 

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝘆

“Working with Clark and his coaches has been a game changer! As a business owner, the most important piece was finding someone with industry experience. There are many other marketing/digital marketing partners; but no one knows the RECRUITMENT industry better.” - Lindsay Lambert, Managing Member @ Permanent Staffing Solutions

"Clark and his team revolutionized the way I think about candidate/ client acquisition! Their approach is totally different from anything I had heard before, and was incredibly effective for me (especially on the client end). I signed 3 clients within the first 3 weeks of being in this program.

They do a great job of taking a theory about effective BD and translating it into a process that is easy to understand and implement." - Samantha Reader, Founder @ Mountain Top Recruiting

“Since we've started this program (4 months) we've increased our revenues by $88,000 between 4 separate placements that we could directly attribute to the sales strategies that we learned during The Digital Recruiter.” Nick Loehr, Co-Founder/ CEO @ JL Recruitment Group

Founder

Digital Recruiter Talent Group

How we work
-𝘚𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴
-𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴
-𝘌𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴

We have recruiters covering the following verticals and departments

SaaS - Sales, Marketing, Product, Engineering
Construction 
Accounting and Finance
Healthcare Tech
CPG

Founder & CEO

Shay Rowbottom Marketing

Assisting Shay Rowbottom (Linkedin's #1 viral video infuencer) with messaging + outreach strategies.

Consultant

Art of Sales Academy

AOSA is a lead generation and sales consultancy that was originally created to help service providers and software companies drive more sales opportunities + acquire new clients.

In November of 2020, I started the recruiting wing of AOSA. This created additional 30% plus new revenue stream for AOSA in 2021 and is now the best performing industry niche for the agency. 

In 2021 alone, we helped multiple small recruiting agencies add six figures in new business billing.

Business Development & Account Manager

Willcox Associates

Consulted small businesses on their internal hiring, training and retention processes.

Aerotek

World Class NPS (Net Promotor Score) from my Clients 

3 of my 4 direct reports received promotions, with a 3rd being in interviewing stages before I left. 

Developed & managed accounts bringing $3-$4 million in annual revenue.

Skilled Trades & Production Account Manager

Promoted to Account Manager after 9 months as a Recruiter. 

Placed candidates in Skilled Trade & Labor (primary), Professional Services, Scientific, and Engineering fields. 

Hit the $10,000 in weekly spread (profit to the company) mark within 5 months.

Skilled Trades & Production Recruiter

iTelecom - An Elite Solutions Provider

Door to Door B2B Sales. This was where I learned how to handle rejection in business and keep getting back up. 

Created $200k in new revenue created without knowing what in the world I was doing.

Account Manger

Aéro Film

Production Assistant

University of Florida

Football Video Graduate Assistant

United Football League

Video Production Assistant

We help consultative (not transactional) recruiters and consultants get back their time and stop chasing hiring managers.

Ever said "If they only knew we were different, they would work with us!"

Good news, you don't need expensive or complicated tech to make that the case in the digital age. 

You just need a better approach.

One where you aren't acting like a transactional recruiter and begging for business right away. 

One where you feel you can disqualify and WALK AWAY from bad potential clients.

You need to utilize your leverage.

What turned you into a top biller or firm? You made more calls, more placements, overcame more losses and now you’re still standing.

In all that time, you never learned marketing. Why would you? You were too busy recruiting.

However, now there’s way more competition. Young kids building AI and tech focused agencies. 

But what happens when they get on the phone? They aren’t savvy.

They don’t know how to run a meeting like you did.

So how do you compete with them. You buy the tech, but you or your team don’t use it correctly. 

What you need is a way to stand out.

That’s where we come in. We help you shorten your sales cycles and create an abundance of warmed up calls with your ideal market.

Showing you how to authentically stand out from the recruiting crowd and position YOU as the recruiting authority you are and that your market needs.

No more pointless cold calls & emails.
No more thoughtless AI-generated content that is hurting your brand.
No more wasting money on a tech stack that just sits there. 

Hiring managers and candidates want to know that you're different.

Don't tell them. Show them. 

We've worked with 100s of recruiters gain millions and millions of impressions from their target market and turn that into more quality meetings through strategic automation and content led outbound.

𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀:
Do it yourself - Digital Recruiter Training Library (200+ trainings)
Done with you - Digital Recruiter Bootcamp
Done for you - LinkedIn Sprint 
Fractional CMO - I take over your marketing and outreach systems and strategy

Message me for more details

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀
"𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦, 𝘐 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥." - Rachel Brown, Physical Therapist Recruiter. 

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁:
10+ years in recruiting & sales, starting with cold calls, door to door telecom sales. I've been through the ringer in life and business, every mistake in the book, & bounced back each time. By the Grace of God, I went from orphaned to having my own wonderful family.

Growth partner to solo recruiters and small recruiting agencies. 

Need to improve your LinkedIn presence + outbound/inbound approach?

Looking to train up your current crop of recruiters?

Looking to add candidates with potential and a training partner to help them achieve it?

Welcome to the Digital Recruiter

https://testimonial.to/recruiter-accelerator/all

“You guys are awesome and have taken a huge burden off of my shoulders.  Trying to build a business (unexpectedly) while navigating my husbands career demands, my family demands is majorly stressful. You totally delivered and I can focus on what I’m actually good at.”

Tara Rochelo, Founder, Four Corners Search

Let’s see how we can help:
https://calendly.com/thedigitalrecruiter/strategy

The most rewarding part of the business in 2025 for me?

Finally accomplishing something that always seemed out of reach.

Building a team. 

Mady Willcox started it. Pure tenacity, focus and intelligence to help put my brain to paper and delegate accordingly. 

Then she helped find, hire and train the incredible Li'l Kaye Salvatierra who has been an absolute game changer.

Riley Darfus leveled up BIG time. Podcast production, video clips, creating logos and banners and other designs, creating text posts. We're now 110 podcast episodes produced and expanding that service to clients.

Ross Mayfield joined up officially and went full tilt with DR after 4 years of working together and him supporting our community. 

Now he runs the Digital Recruiter Academy + being our "LinkedIn Coordinator" with his vast experiences writing 1000s of posts and messages.

Keely Flood supporting on the sales coaching side for our clients and introducing people to Digital Recruiter. 

Cristina Rexach helping me figure this out for a couple of years.

This Thanksgiving, I am grateful to have a weekend where I can decompress, recharge, and know that everyone is rowing the boat in the same direction.

...and by decompress I mean wrangling in our 2.5 and 9 month old boys who like to moonlight as hyenas. 

Grateful to have dream clients. Seriously, it's unmatched with the commitment level people bring to the table to make this work. 

This industry is not easy, but it can be extremely rewarding. 

Looking back on the days where I had no family, no money to my name due to my own failures, and a fairly bleak reality, I'll never take a second of this current setup for granted.

My hope for you is you get to enjoy some good food, some football, most importantly some family. 

Cheers 🥂

Founder @ The Digital Recruiter || Fractional Sales + Marketing || We fix and create your business development engine so your prospects actually start responding to you

Posting content on LinkedIn? Here's a crucial mistake to avoid…

👇

Don't post for other recruiters. Post to your next ideal client.

Here’s how recruiters get off track with content,,,

-You start posting
-You connect with other recruiters
-Your feed becomes recruiter-heavy
-You start writing for them instead of your market

But your goal isn’t to impress peers.

It’s to connect with hiring managers, the ones who pay the invoices.

So here’s the move:

-Build your ecosystem with people in your market
-Ignore the feed, watch your analytics instead
-Keep posting for your buyers (yes, even if they’re lurkers)
-Unfollow anything that throws you off track

Remember, comparison is the thief of joy.

You’re not here to win likes, you’re here to build trust and win more quality business.

That’s the game.

JSESSIONID

li_at

Hiring Assistant for LinkedIn Recruiter & Jobs

The name of the game on this one was nothing flashy…

Consistency.

Start showing up on LinkedIn.

Keep showing up.

Don’t stress about likes. 

Focus on the pain points in the market, 

Just keep it going.

The right people notice if you give them quality content consistently.

graphical user interface, text, application, chat or text message

"I've gained 1000 new followers already (under 2 weeks)...I am so all in on this approach" This stopped me in my tracks yesterday in our Digital Recruiter Academy Call. 

Again, this recruiter has been in the program for less than 2 weeks.

And you know likes and followers aren't the main thing we care about. 

BUT - to generate that type of buzz around content that resonates with your ICP.

And have them follow you at that level?

Huge before and after.

Now she has a flood of potential clients and candidates that know who she is. 

She's on the radar.

She just has to stay with it. 

It's all about the "small wins" as my friend Keely Flood says. 

Those build up to the big ones. 

Add in the first placement she locked up as a new agency owner (all her work, this was pre Digital Recruiter). 

And she's off and running with some fantastic momentum.

Who says the holiday season needs to slow down?

Thanks to my good friend Benjamin Mena for inviting me yet again to speak at his epic summits. 

It's free and the best in the game. Make sure to sign up to get your 2026 off to the right start.

As everyone is going more towards "CHECK OUT MY AI WORKSHOP BOOTCAMP, WE ARE THE EXPERT"

...we've noticed what works with Digital Recruiters...

Staying consistent.

Finding areas to be more human. Knowing where people are relying on AI, so where can we leverage that to our advantage.

-Knowing how to have authentic conversations
-Seeking to understand your market first.
-Quality content that resonates
-Finding the line of always using automation, but not being spammy
-Ways to incorporate AI to speed up your workflow, but not ruin your brand

This is how you get GREAT clients (remember, clients aren't clients until they pay an invoice, looking at you contingent signed paper work warriors). 

That's the goal right? 

No awkward calls booked from a lead gen company. 

No being desperate to work on any calls.

Do outreach and content the right away, and watch your BD worries melt away in 2026.

Need to hire? We can help! - Headhunter - Managing Partner

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝘂𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱?

Recruiting never slows down. If you want to build a bigger book and stronger relationships, you need fresh tactics and the right network.

That’s why I’m thrilled to announce that Clark Willcox will be sharing his expertise at our Sales & BD Summit this January. This summit will show you:

How to fill your pipeline with high‑quality leads and bill more
Proven outreach and negotiation strategies that convert
Ways to use AI tools and automation to save time without losing the human touch
The mindset shifts needed to create repeat business and referrals
 
The summit is packed with actionable playbooks from 30+ industry leaders who will help you hit the ground running in Q1. Live sessions are FREE, with options to upgrade for replays and deeper learning.

Building strong professional networks and relationships is one of the most effective ways to find new opportunities and accelerate your career. 

Don’t miss the chance to learn from the best and connect with other driven recruiters.

Join us and set yourself up for success in 2025!

👉 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 & 𝗕𝗗 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 – 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱

https://lnkd.in/erupSzN5

3 exclusive director roles placed from his first post. 

This is what can happen when experience, successful recruiters take their talents to the LinkedIn feed. 

Sharing their authentic voice, stories and perspective. 

Will everyone get an exclusive client from their first post? 

No, but every successful recruiter can get clients from LinkedIn. 

Might be post 1

Post 10

Post 50.

All you need is this

1) understanding that content can work for you  

2) understanding of copy writing and marketing principles 

3) how to capture your voice and create content that resonates with your ideal market 

4) how to follow up when you have a digital presence (it’s different than cold outreach) 

5) a flywheel that connects with your ideal market daily 

6) Consistency 

2-6 is the reasons people work with us. Because you are a great recruiter and sales people. 

Not necessarily to be a marketer.  

So once you believe 1), what are you waiting for?

I was reminded today of one of my favorite things about retained search firms getting into cold outreach. 

"Cold email didn't work"

"LinkedIn automation didn't work"

Let me guess.

You are used to building relationships, getting referrals, gaining trust, etc before getting clients right?

Yes.

And so now, you're reaching out to people that don't know you at all, and wondering why pitching yourself in 3-5 messages about how you recruit in a special manner and saying it doesn't work?

Yes.

So the thing that gets you these great clients and fees upfront, you're not replicating any bit of that to people that don't know you.

You have zero leverage.
You have zero authority outside of the people that know you offline.

But now, you're competing with ALL the other recruiting agencies your market comes into contact with.

There is no shield and status.

...Until you earn it.

And that's done with marketing + strategic digital network building.

There's a reason we aren't "lead gen"

Because lead gen approach is useless in an industry where relationships are paramount.

And people are the product. And people are volatile.

Look for ways to reduce that friction. To get people to buy into you.

No, they won't do it because you say you're the best.

You have to 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 them why you're the best.

And do that over and over again.

Thank you to everyone who extended their Cyber Monday deal for my own benefit, just in case I missed out!

Ashley Woods didn’t discover recruiting.

Someone recruited her into it but she’s the one who chose to master it.

She learned to ask better questions, study the market, sit in coding meetups just to pick up keywords, and earn credibility by speaking the language of the people she served.

Then she hit a wall.

The workload was heavy, the hours were brutal, and even after winning big, she realized she’d built a career on urgency, 80–100 hour weeks, and no time for the things she actually loved.

So, she stepped away and then rebuilt everything.

She left recruiting for tech sales, realized she missed the impact of this industry, and when she came back through, she rebuilt her entire operating system: time audits, energy audits, automation, partnerships, and systems that pulled her out of reactive work and into high-value, intentional work.

That structure eventually became Time Rich Recruiter, where she now teaches recruiters how to buy back their time, protect their energy, and still deliver real results without burning themselves out.

Her message is simple:
You can be a high performer without sacrificing your entire life to do it.

Listen now:
YouTube: https://bit.ly/4nSAvPf
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3LOyzd3
Apple: https://bit.ly/48fi16L

Open article: Digital Recruiter Podcast by bit.ly

"I KNOW that post was about me" 

Words from a prospective call last week. The thing is...

It wasn't our first call.

That was back in September.

Right after he gets swamped with searches. 

Ends up closing a couple hundred thousand and change on fees.

Time well spent right?

Yes, but...

In that time he could have had his biz dev engine built by our team. 

And as he is wrapping up the latest big wave.

The engine would have kept that momentum going.

Not to mention it would help him find a few of these candidates MUCH faster and freed up crucial time for him.

All good though. I get why agency owners think they can wait to install a BD engine.

Here's what to remember

1) You always get more when you have enough. When you're chasing is when things get way harder.

2) If you get swamped with leads...that's when you can actually walk away from business and/or raise fees or have the confidence to push more retained searches. 

AKA, nothing bad happens when you have an expert install and run a true BD engine.

That makes you look good, daily, in front of your market. 

(Yes, he joined and we're getting after it starting this week)

Thank you Jon Davis for inviting me down to #talentnetlive

Craig Fisher, great job creating an action packed event in one day. Tons of collaboration and passionate conversations. 

End of the day? Everyone's trying to figure out the balance of automation, AI and where humans step in. 

For my agency recruiter friends...if you can slow down, meet managers and companies where THEY are at...

You're going to do just fine with business development.

And if you use certain types of automation, forget about it. All of them have too much red tape to even figure that piece out.

CEO at Signature Back Office Solutions

Applied AI & Digital Strategy | CMO/Advisor | Employer Brand & TA Marketing | B2B Demand Gen (HR Tech) | Builds Pipelines that Convert | Author ‘Hiring Humans’ | Keynote Speaker

Here's the thing with content.

Specifically, content that sells. 

The bests posts are never what you think. 

It's not the selfies.

It's not the "here's a graphic about how much we care." 

It's not the "National hug a puppy day." 

Not that any of those things are bad. (OK, maybe selfies are). 

It's none of them are RELEVANT. 

Relevant to a business pain point. Let alone a hiring one. 

Think through why clients pay you fees. 

Those nuances.

Why your best client went with you. And kept giving you roles.

While another great client went with you for a different reason.

Think of their buying journey. That' where the content is.

Can't think of your customer's buying journey?

Then I can nearly guarantee you that's where you're having issues with BD and marketing.

Know your customer, then you can sell to them.

...without "selling"

"What's your MPC approach?"

A client asked me that last week.

My answer? It depends.

Most placeable candidate plays can definitely work.

I used them all the time at Aerotek last decade.

You introduce a hyper-specific person for a hyper-specific role.

It opens a door. But then comes the dance.

Is this person actually in process?

Is the profile even real?

Or is this just another recycled script agencies are running?

Because nowadays, managers are getting bombarded with MPC's. 

So now, prospects start to doubt.

Not just the candidate.

The whole approach.

Not to mention the overthinking I see take place when crafting this candidate.

Instead, I told my client to think of it this way.

He has deep market knowledge. He can talk shop. He spots hiring issues in seconds.

That’s what actually builds credibility.

He IS the MPC.

Him leaning into HIM being the most valuable partner, that can find THEIR mpc, whether he has them in network already or not.

That's the value.

If a company’s had a bad run with agencies, who do you think they trust?

The one chasing a candidate.

Or the one who sounds like they’ve already worked the job.

So a few messages and voice notes later.

He booked more quality meetings, with the right people...

People who are excited to work with HIM. 

Not the mythical, magical candidate. 

Happy hunting.

Funny how content works.

The clients, current and former, I also see on my feed?

Are all the ones DM-ing me wins week after week. 

Quality consistency always wins.

It's not just about "showing up." 

You have to give your audience time to build trust with you.

Now, just make sure you aren't relying on lazy AI content that no one is paying attention too...

Then you're just imploding your brand before you even have one...

The reason your content doesn't convert to business is extremely simple. 

Yet, most people can't help themselves. 

And even if they are consistent for a little bit, I usually see this fall off occur.

Your content is all about you.

And no one cares about you.

It's ok, no one cares about me either. 

And that should be extremely freeing for you. 

Your next 10 clients all have hiring issues.

Otherwise they wouldn't be clients.

So stop posting about you.

Start posting about them.

And the problems that each of those 10 clients have. 

Naturally, you'll talk about how you solve those problems.

They want the solution, you're just the middle man to get to that result.

So remember...

You're the middle man or woman to the solution...not the subject.

Best practices for running automation and content on holiday weeks.
after doing this for nearly 6 years. 

1. Keep running campaigns. Turn it off on the holiday day. That's when no one believes you're working. But run it the days outside of that.
2. It's a great to test new audiences. 
3. Don't assume people aren't on here. Sometimes it's the one time they get a break, they engage with family for a bit, then what? On their phone. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦.

70% of linkedin users in 2025 are on mobile according to my chat gpt research. Keep that in mind. 

^^ also a good note as to what I space out posts the way I do. It's easier to read.

Yes, your impressions will go down most likely with content. Share the gratitude post, etc. 

But again, even 100, 500 or 1k impressions by your ideal prospect, could turn into a lead.

Just because other people take their gas completely off the pedal, doesn't mean you need too.

With 1-2 hours of work you can still be prospecting and marketing, and still getting fat on turkey, stuffing and pie. 

🦃

When you have your top of funnel BD going non stop, it feels like "Me, Myself & Irene"

You never know which personality you'll get on a given interaction.

Current client - "Hey! I have a referral for you" and proceeds to tell them all about the great work you do.

New connection - "Hey, great to connect, seeing your stuff, I'd love to learn more" 

New connection - "I'm not interested in services" - yet you never pitched services

Prospect - "Yes! Let's meet up for coffee. I love meeting up around this time of year and catching up with folks."

Current Client - "How do we level up and do more work together this year"

25 ish unread messages to get back to in the inbox today 

150 other people I reached out to this week - *Crickets

What's the lesson in all this?

Have a system.

Dial in your approach.

Never stop.

Go with the flow. 

Don't bend your principles for anyone.

The name of the content game. 

It's not enough to just post now. 

With the introduction of AI, there's more of it...and will continue to be more of it.

So there needs to be posts like this.

Posts taht arent prefect and have typeos. 

More importantly, posts that have your voice.

Now, you can "save money" and just paste whatever AI junk you come up with it.

Or you can treat content marketing like the revenue engine it should be for you. 

And that's 3-4x posts per week.

In your voice.

That resonate with your market.

While you're connecting with your market. Daily

No weeks off. 

Stop chasing. Free up your time. 

But, that doesn't work if you try to shortcut it.

Or don't invest in the key parts of your business.

It's not more people you need. People you have to manage and train.

It's optimizing YOU. 

Do that and watch the need for cold emails or calls go away.

All outreach turns warm.

That's why we've pivoted to help high performing recruiters with the tough part of all this.

Consistently creating.
Consistently having campaigns running
Consistently tracking leads. 

We do that for you, so you can focus on closing.

Marcus Quigley never dreamed of being a recruiter and as he puts it, nobody does.

He was in lending, trying to sell products he didn’t believe in, until a mentor pulled him into recruiting and he realized he actually loved the work, helping people, solving problems, building relationships.

He spent five years running a full desk, learning everything the hard way.

Then he went out on his own… and got crushed.

Wrong timing.

No process.

Spray-and-pray outreach.

Down to his last $4–5k, he even took a loan against his 401(k) just to take desperation out of the room but once he slowed down and rebuilt things the right way, everything changed.

He popped six placements in a month. And after doing just one deal last November, he’s already passed 20 this year.

He found his lane in legal recruiting, direct, decisive, no gray area, exactly how he works.

He vets deeply, tells the truth even when it costs him money, and walks away from clients who don’t respect the process.

And behind all of that is something he shared openly: he recently lost his dad.

After losing his dad, Marcus began showing up with a different level of purpose, in his life, his relationships, and his business.

It’s why he leads with integrity, why he chooses kindness, and why he does the right thing even when it’s hard.

His message is simple: You don’t need ego or urgency to win, just honesty, consistency, and doing the right thing for the long term.

Listen now:
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/e9F3EPtH
Spotify:  https://lnkd.in/eSuVCt3K
Apple: https://lnkd.in/edETtFvK

podcasts.apple.com

Digital Recruiter Podcast

Legal Recruiter | Founder @ Recruitify | Helping law firms hire the right talent | Marcus@RecruitifyUSA.com | 949-966-1932

Black Friday Deal! No wait, Cyber Monday! Just kidding, this one's free.

Digital Recruiter Academy has switched over to Skool the day before Thanksgiving.

I know, genius level on my end when no one wants to check their email.

Any way, there's a cool feature for a 7 day free trial. So I turned that thing on.

Outreach + Automation call at 12pm EST today.

The legendary Content workshop on Thursday hosted by Ross Mayfield.

Access to most of trainings we have that have helped recruiters make a ton of placements (I'll remove the random number thrown out there), buy back their time and have hiring managers genuinely excited to work with them.

Also how to use this system to get way more quality candidates in less time, without relying on InMails. 

Check it out: 

https://lnkd.in/e8YhxCnH

Open article: Digital Recruiter Academy by tinyurl.com

Benjamin Mena

Select Source Solutions

We work with companies that are changing the world and protecting the world and bring them the Data Science, Cyber Security, and Recruitment talent that they need to enable that change. Recognizing that the single biggest driver towards results is people, we help our clients empower themselves with the right talent, in the right place, at the right time. 

➨ For Our Clients, we help find the best Cyber and Data Science talent allowing you to do what you do best, support your business growth and your own career.

➨ For Our Candidates, we put your unique Cyber and Data Science Talent in front of the decision-makers of the most cutting-edge companies in the world, and position you to blow your competition away, allowing you to take back control of your career trajectory.

Our area of specialization:
✓ Executive Retained Search (C-Level, VP, Director)
✓ Cyber and Data Science Direct Hire Search
✓ Recruiters 
✓ Contract Recruiters 

http://www.selectsourcesolutions.com/
Benjamin@selectsourcesolutions.com

Managing Partner

Pin.com - AI Recruiting

I’m partnering with the Pin.com team to bring real-world recruiting insights, help guide product development, and support adoption across industries beyond tech.

As host of The Elite Recruiter Podcast and organizer of recruiter summits, I’ve seen a lot of tools come and go. Very few truly move the needle—Pin is one of them. Its advanced search, smart messaging workflows, and clean ATS integration are built the way recruiters actually work, not how software vendors think we work.

My focus is on helping Pin shape the future of recruiting—making sourcing faster, smarter, and more human.

💡 Want to check it out? Use my code: BenjaminPin for a discount when you demo.

Strategic Advisor

The Elite Recruiter Podcast

The Elite Recruiter Podcast is the number one podcast for recruiting professionals.

This is where the top recruiters share: How they got there. What kind of work did it take. Tips, Tools, and Tricks. The Mindset needed to get them to where they are. What they are doing with their success. Goals and visions for the future. So please join me on this journey as I interview some of the best in our industry

https://www.eliterecruiterpodcast.com/

The Elite Recruiter Podcast Host

Decentralized Careers Podcast

Decentralized Careers is the number one podcast for learning how to land top talent for your Web3, Blockchain, Crypto company.

Learn from other leaders on how they were able to hire the right talent to build the products and help change the world.

https://pod.co/decentralized-careers

Decentralized Careers Podcast Host

DynCorp International

DynCorp International is a leading global services provider offering unique, tailored solutions for an ever-changing world. Built on more than six decades of experience as a trusted partner to commercial, government and military customers, DI provides sophisticated aviation, logistics, training, intelligence and operational solutions wherever we are needed. DynCorp International is headquartered in McLean, Va. For more information, visit www.dyn-intl.com.

The intelligence professionals of DynCorp International (DI) work daily, protecting the United States and its allies, enabling decision-making through agile, integrated intelligence solutions:
•Educating, Training and Certifying tomorrow’s intelligence professionals
•Enhancing Collection and Analysis to deliver decision-enabling intelligence
•Assisting the Intelligence Mission Globally through service in all locations and conditions

DI proudly serves in all locations, environments and conditions to support optimal decision-making and effective national security action by delivering balanced and ever-improving cross-discipline capabilities as a part of a single integrated team.

Sr Contract Intel and IT Recruiter

Vencore Inc.

Inspired by combining the word core with Latin words denoting respect, the name Vencore emphasizes that our high quality, high value services and solutions are at the core of our customers’ missions. 

Vencore has over 40 years of proven experience providing information solutions, engineering and analysis to the U.S. Intelligence Community, Department of Defense and Federal/Civilian Agencies. We support our customers’ missions by helping them solve their complex challenges while maintaining the highest level of integrity and accountability. 

Our people design, develop and deliver critical solutions as our customers’ trusted partner. Our innovations in cyber security, data analysis and technology, combined with our focus on research, ensure Vencore remains ahead of the ever changing demands in the market.

Vencore and its Applied Communication Sciences subsidiary employ 4,800 dedicated employees located throughout the Nation with a presence in 17 states and in select foreign countries. For more information on Vencore, please see our company overview data sheet.

Sr. Technical Contract Recruiter

United States Postal Service

Manage, develop and execute recruitment strategies in partnership with hiring managers to identify and cultivate a pipeline of top executive level candidates to fill positions across all business units within the US Postal Service.
Identify, recruit, and assess top senior, executive, and officer level talent for active and open positions across all business units within the Postal Service.
Responsible for developing long and short term recruitment strategies in order to attract and create an active applicant pool
Develop industry appropriate requirements for executive vacancies based on meeting with the hiring manager and external research to ensure candidates are best matched with the needs of the position.
Research, implement, and maintain leading edge, creative and cost effective sourcing tools and resources that improve applicant relationship development.
Develops candidate recommendations for hiring manager review and consideration.
Interview candidates during the final interviewing process to evaluate and provide recommendations to the hiring manager.
Network with potential candidates to build a rapport, turn passive into active candidates, maintain a viable talent pool and to engage them in the opportunity of working at the Postal Service.
Coordinate with and oversee the work of external recruitment agencies to recruit for officer level positions, ensuring agency personnel are informed of job content and requirements. 
Review proposals, develop statements of work, create task orders, verify invoices and monitor contract-related expenses.
Stay current with the Postal environment, industry changes and market trends related to the executive level talent pools.
Partner with leadership and talent management groups on the strategy and preparation for succession planning and current management needs.

Executive Sourcing Recruiter

BAE Systems

BAE Systems is the premier global defense and aerospace company, delivering a full range of products and services for air, land, and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions, and customer support services. With 105,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems had 2008 sales of $34.4 billion.

Information Solutions is among the 10 largest IT providers to the U.S. government, serving most of the federal defense and civilian marketplace. It provides network-centric command, control, computing, and intelligence (C3I) solutions; wideband networking radio systems; information systems for the U.S. intelligence community; geospatial information services; and information technology services. Leveraging its knowledge of signals and data derived from signals, Information Solutions has attained a market-leading position in advanced information technology research, intelligence analysis and production, and geospatial exploitation software.

People are the greatest asset in any Company ... 

BAE Systems is committed to a high performance culture and provides an environment that challenges our employees to be remarkable and obtain their full potential.

Sourcing Recruiter - Talent Acquisition

L-3 National Security Solutions

* Responsible for full life-cycle hiring supporting the Executive Office of the President (EOP) along with various IT and Cyber Security programs based around DC Metro and various parts of the globe.
* Experience working with Cleared Professionals supporting various agencies and Department of Defense contracts and programs. 
* Responsible for full life-cycle hiring supporting the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) Dagger II contract, recruiting Imagery and Geospatial Analysts for a large program based out of Ft. Bragg, NC
* Also Responsible for surge efforts in support of Intelligence personnel on OCONUS programs supporting USF-I, ISS-A, to include: Intelligence Analyst, SIGINT Specialist, Collection Managers, MEDEX/DOMEX Specialist, Counterintelligence Support Specialist, Strategic Debriefer,, Screeners, and Database Managers, SharePoint SME, and Information Management Specialist
* Assisted with recruiting efforts, on the ISS-A contract win resulting in 95% fill-ratio within 3 months.
* Assisted in proposal efforts for ISS-A, AFSOC, ITA/CND, and various other  programs and task orders.  
* Proactively networked with other companies and contacts for new program leads.

Sr. Recruiting Consultant

Lockheed Martin

*Maintain the full-cycle recruitment process and pipeline of an average of 300+ requisitions 
*Maintained the pipeline for Entry Level Professionals/Interns/ and Co-ops for the Missiles and Fire Control Business Unit of Lockheed Martin
*Interface with all levels of management, Human Resource Business Partners, and Business Unit Managers for the hiring process for 7 Lockheed Martin sites within Missiles and Fire Control
*Sourced candidates, set up, and facilitated large scale recruiting events for the Lockheed Martin’s Leadership Development Programs
*Created strategies with each manager to source and hire top talent from our corporate and key schools.
*Worked as a Kaizen Team Lead in an office restructuring project to cut down wasted time and increase team inclusiveness. 
*Lead the Talent Acquisition Facility Rebranding Team in facility operations
*Helped set best practices in the communication standards that are set within local team

Corporate Talent Acquisition Recruiter

🎯 Having a tough time hiring for your Government Contracting Executive Team or GovCon AI teams?  There are way more openings than there are people to fill.  The top level talent your team needs are not even looking at your jobs ads. 🎯
** CLICK BELOW TO SEE MORE **

We understand how competitive the market is for top talent and how your career as a leader is impacted by the ability to attract and retain top talent.  

My name is Benjamin Mena, and for 15 years, I've built Data Science and Cyber Security teams for global Top Secret National Security programs.

Finding and attracting top-level people for our commercial sector is mission-critical. I know how right hire at the right time is vital for your team's growth and success.

SERVICES FOR CLIENTS AND CANIDATES 
💥 Executive Retained Search (C-Level, VP, Director)
💥 Direct Hire Search
💥 Employer/Candidate Value Proposition Development

Myself and my team are ready to help you 

🎯 To book a no-obligation, 15-minute Client Strategy or Candidate Career Call: https://calendly.com/benjaminmena
🎯 Email: Benjamin@selectsourcesolutions.com 
🎯 Phone: 703-297-8574

The Elite Recruiter Podcast is the number one podcast for recruiting professionals.

This is where the top recruiters share: How they got there. What kind of work did it take. Tips, Tools, and Tricks. The Mindset needed to get them to where they are. What they are doing with their success. Goals and visions for the future. So please join me on this journey as I interview some of the best in our industry

https://pod.co/the-elite-recruiter-podcast

Ever wondered how a recruiter becomes the first call for top venture capitalists, and carves a niche no one else can touch?

That’s the story of Norman Volsky🎙️, The Pinnacle Society Member.

He didn’t just want to fill a role. He wanted to dominate his market—and did it by playing a different game.

Norman’s path wasn’t linear. He started as an intern, failed gloriously at his first “dream” job (spoiler: watching a lot of basketball tape does not make you happy), learned from every mentor and moment of rejection, and found himself at the crossroad every ambitious recruiter faces: stick to what everyone else is doing, or think bigger.
He chose bigger.

✅ He became the recruiter attached to billion-dollar IPOs, riding alongside the fastest-growing startups in healthcare tech. 

✅ He turned a handful of key placements into a snowball of reputation and referrals—eventually leading to investors asking him to sit at the table, not just as a recruiter, but as a deal-maker. 

✅ He turned his unique market knowledge into investment opportunities, assembling groups of powerful insiders to help rocket companies forward (and benefit together).

But here's the twist: Norman’s secret isn’t just hustle. It’s radical transparency, relentless curiosity, and ALWAYS asking: 

“How can I help you?”  Even when it doesn’t seem directly tied to his bottom line.

That’s how he became the market. 

That’s why the best VCs call him first.

If you want to hear how someone built a true niche monopoly—and went from recruiter to influential investor—this is your episode.

Links below to the Pinnacle Take Podcast: Why Top VCs Call This Recruiter First: The Power of Niche Mastery with Norman Volsky

What’s one move you made in your niche that changed everything?

Make sure to also check out the episodes that dropped last week with with the following Pinnacle Society Members:

Rich Rosen
Pree Sarkar
Rob Bowerman
Justis Pederson

Most recruiters would have quit.
Imagine going six straight months without making a single placement.

New industry. New desk. New pressure.

Every day, picking up the phone… and nothing landing.

That was Emily Audibert at the start of her recruiting career.

But instead of walking away, she doubled down.

Listened to every training tape she could get her hands on.

Made twice the dials.

Took every bit of feedback—even the uncomfortable stuff.

And she kept showing up.

Then something unexpected happened:
She stopped trying to sound like every “hard-charging, script-driven” recruiter in the bullpen…
 and started leaning into her way of doing the job.

A softer approach.
More curiosity.
More intuition.
Less pressure.
More trust.

And everything changed.

She went from struggling to survive…
to becoming a million-dollar biller, landing multiple RPO contracts, and building a thriving agency rooted in authenticity—not aggression.

Here are a few of my favorite takeaways from the conversation:
🔹 Your energy matters more than your script:   Once Emily stopped forcing a style that wasn’t hers, deals started moving.

🔹 RPOs are a game-changer:    She breaks down exactly how she sold them, structured them, and turned them into predictable revenue.

🔹 Mindset is the real differentiator.
 Visualization, consistency, and refusing to quit—even when it felt hopeless—became her superpower.

If you’ve ever felt stuck… or wondered if there’s a “right” way to be successful in this business… Emily’s story is the reminder that you can build a wildly successful career by being fully yourself.

This is one of the most inspiring episodes we’ve done.

Thank you Atlas - the Recruitment Platform and Recruiters Websites for sponsoring this episode! 

Make sure to also sign up for the Recruiter Sales and BD Summit kicking off in Jan 2026!

Ohh and make sure to join The Elite Recruiter Community!

Just imagine if college football coaches had to deal with non-competes like the rest of us.
Coach leaves one university for another?

Sorry, you’ll need to sit out for a year.

Can’t work for a rival school.

And please don’t you dare call your old players or staff.

Sounds absurd, right?

Yet that’s exactly what happens every day in the corporate world.

Talented people blocked from opportunities by restrictive contracts.

Even as the game keeps moving, they’re benched.

Maybe it’s time we treated all professionals with the same fairness and mobility we give our coaches on Saturday.

If someone has a good reason to leave...  

Let them leave.

Most recruiters don’t lose deals because of sourcing.

They lose them because of what happens after the first interview.

A lot of recruiters don’t want to hear that.

But Steve Finkel said something on this week’s episode that stopped me in my tracks:

“Your worth to the client isn’t at the beginning.

It’s at the end.”
And he’s right.

We obsess over AI tools, outreach hacks, Boolean strings…
But we don’t obsess over the skill that actually gets us paid:

Closing.
Follow-up.
Debriefing.
Moving a candidate from a first interview to a second.

That’s where recruiters win.
That’s where recruiters lose.
And that’s where most of us leave the most money on the table.

Steve broke down EXACTLY why offers fall apart, how to fix it, and how elite recruiters use closing to add 30–50% more billing without working more hours.

This episode punched me in the gut in the best way possible.
If you’ve ever lost a deal you should have landed… or wondered how some recruiters have “insane” consistency year after year…

You need this one.

Listen to Part 1: The Art of Closing with Steve Finkel

Thank you Atlas - the Recruitment Platform and Recruiters Websites for helping make this episode possible!

What ATS do you use?  Why Do you love it?


I have had an influx of people asking my thoughts, I think its because everyone is gearing up for an awesome 2026! 

But share what you are using to help other recruiters out there looking right now.

Recruiters!  Who are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Tag who and why! 

I have some of mine down below.

The 3 Most Registered Talks so far for the 2026 Recruiter Sales and BD Summit!


1. Clark Willcox - Mastering LinkedIn Inbound 
2. Jordan Shlosberg, CFA - AI Meets Business Development 
3. Rebekah Brown - Scaling Your Book of Business

You don't want to miss this summit kicking off Jan 26th! 

All the live sessions is FREE!  

Follow: Benjamin Mena
Listen to and subscribe to The Elite Recruiter Podcast

Traveling this weekend and need a podcast to listen to.   5 episodes dropped in the last 24 hours! 

Jared Watts - The Pro Athlete Mindset That Creates World-Class Recruiters on The Elite Recruiter Podcast

Rich Rosen - Record-Breaking Recruiting: How Rich Rosen Had His Best Month Ever (Mindset, Tech & Tactics for Crushing It in Any Market) - Pinnacle Take Podcast 

Rob Bowerman - Why Niching Down Makes Recruiters Elite: Lessons from Luxury & the Pinnacle Society - Pinnacle Take Podcast 

Pree Sarkar - From Survival to Seven Figures: The Step-by-Step Playbook to Building a Million Dollar Recruiting Desk - Pinnacle Take Podcast 

Justis Pederson - Breaking the Recruiting Plateau: How Justis Pederson Went from Burnout to $1.5M with Digital Transformation and Sobriety - Pinnacle Take Podcast 

Check them out! All the links are below.

Who you surround yourself with has a bigger impact than you realize. 

I signed up for a 10K without really training. 

I run.  But have not trained and most of my runs are with a stroller.  

So my expectations were low.  

Goal was to finish and see where I might be at.  

But as I got to the start line.  

I realized I was about 50 runners deep from a 40 minute pacer.  

I tried to get closer but it was to crowded. 

I thought.  If I could just hang on for a little bit it just might be a good run.  

After the gun went off.  It took me a good half mile to catch up with the pacer.   

I could feel the lactic acid already filling up my legs.  

But I had to catch him.  At least for a while.

But when I caught him.  I didn’t just catch him.  I caught the pack.   A pack of about 40 runners.  

Sitting in the pack the miles started to fly by. 

I was able to hang to the group for about 4.5 miles.

Ended up finishing with a 40:26.

If I didn’t catch up with the pacer.  I still would have had a respectable time.  

But because I surrounded myself with the pack of other runners.  

I did even better.   

But this is the same thing with recruiters.  

We are all running the race for ourselves.  

But if you get the chance to run with others. 

You can go faster and further than if you were alone.  

I really don’t talk about it as much as I should.  But it’s been awesome to see everyone running together in The Elite Recruiter Community that recently launched.  

Having access to every summit replay is cool.   

But finding running buddies.  Is even better.  

Excited where it’s going to go over the next year.  

And I can’t wait to look back in Dec of 2026 and realize how fast the pack of recruiters running. 

Was able to accomplish.   

If you want to join us.  Hit me up.

Confession: I didn’t run the LinkedIn gender experiment.
Rosie Taylor did.

She flipped her gender setting from “female” to “male” for a week.
Nothing else changed – same profile, same bio, same posting cadence.

Her “people reached” went up 220%. Profile views up 174%. Impressions up 195%.

Her top posts as “Rosie” were doing 11–13K views.
As “Rosie the man”? 21K and 52K views.

Same person. Same thoughts. New gender. Wildly different reach.

Fortune’s Emma Hinchliffe has already covered this, along with other women who saw their content take off the moment the platform read them as men.
LinkedIn’s line is that gender is not a ranking signal and the feed is driven by things like network, activity and role.

But here’s where my recruiter brain kicks in:

In recruiting, this hits differently.

There are a ton of women actually doing the work in this industry, yet when you scroll “recruiter” content on here, it’s still mostly men who get seen, shared, and treated as the voices of the profession.

If the system is learning from years of men posting more, engaging more with each other, and being overrepresented in “power user” buckets…
…then any ranking model trained on that history is going to treat male-coded behaviour as the default “signal” and everyone else as the edge case.

So when we say “the best content rises”, are we really measuring quality?
Or are we measuring who the machine has already decided looks like a “leader” because of past behaviour?

I don’t think the answer is “women need to be more confident on LinkedIn”.
I think the answer starts with questions like:
- Whose posts do you comment on without thinking?
- Whose content do you reshare?
- Who do you tag for opportunities and intros?

Because that’s the data the algorithm is drinking every day.

What do your last 30 comments say about whose voices you’re helping the algorithm learn to love?

I really don't think of myself as a Recruiting Influencer.   

I think of myself as a GovCon Headhunter that also has a recruiting podcast and I just share the stories with all of you.

The #4 on the Atlas - the Recruitment Platform list is because of all of you guys tuning into The Elite Recruiter Podcast!

So thank you!

Also thank you Jordan Shlosberg, CFA and Nikos Karamolegkos for having me on this list with so many amazing people in our space!

View company: Atlas - the Recruitment Platform

Big News: 🔥

The Atlas30 Recruitment Influencers list for October is OUT NOW, and it’s full of surprises.

Joel Lalgee is back on top! 👑
Hishem Azzouz drops to #2 - but not by much.
Greg Savage climbs into the top 3!
Benjamin Mena is up 2 spots to land at #4.
Carolyn Christie drops to #5 - will she bounce back?

Following the Atlas30 is like having 30 mentors in your feed.

Daily inspiration.

Full blog in the comments! 👇

Most recruiting firms don’t fail because they’re bad.
They fail because they run on chaos.

No systems.

No scorecards.

No real accountability.

Just pure “white-knuckle and pray the deal closes.”

Kelsey Boyd lived inside that chaos and she shared the story on The Elite Recruiter Podcast.

She walked into a recruiting firm with 32 different brands, outdated processes, triple-entry time sheets, and a business model that was basically held together by grit and duct tape.

Most people would have tapped out.

She rebuilt the entire thing.
→ Rebranded the company
 → Unified the tech stack
 → Implemented EOS
 → Built the operating system that carried the firm into real growth

Not because she was asked to.

But because she saw a way forward when everyone else saw “that’s just how we do things.”

In this week’s episode, Kelsey breaks down the exact operating frameworks that help recruiting firms escape chaos and finally scale:
• How to spot the bottlenecks killing your billings
 • Why most firms plateau at the same revenue point
 • How EOS actually works inside a staffing company
 • What “right people, right seats” really means
 • Why consistency > talent in this business

If your desk or agency feels chaotic…

If you’ve hit a ceiling you can’t break through…

Or if you’ve wondered why some firms scale and others stay stuck…
This episode is the blueprint.

This is the final episode of the 3-part EOS Series for Recruitment Firms.
Part 1: Jackie Kibler
Part 2: Derek Pittak

And Kelsey Boyd is wrapping up the series with Part 3.


Thank you Atlas - the Recruitment Platform for sponsoring this episode.

What does it really take to scale a recruiting firm to $300M and pull off a dream exit? 
Spoiler: It’s not just about clever tech or working weekends.

The episode is finnaly live with Jon Davis on The Elite Recruiter Podcast. 

Honestly, there’s zero fluff here, Jon gets REAL about all the messy pivoting, the strategies that actually moved the needle, and mistakes that almost derailed everything.

Here’s what really stuck with me:
- Why recurring revenue (contract staffing) is the difference between a “small biz” and a business that buyers chase
- The hard reality of letting go of what’s working to chase what’s possible
- How relationships still beat out every tool or hack, even now
- Practical steps for owners & solo recruiters to start thinking about legacy—and exit

And a bunch of battle stories you won’t hear anywhere else

If you own or run a desk at a recruiting firm—and you’re thinking about scaling, selling, or just future-proofing your book—this is mandatory listening.

🎧 Grab the episode below and thank you Atlas - the Recruitment Platform for sponsoring this episode.

670,000 to 750,000 federal employees are furloughed.
Another 730,000 are working without pay during this unprecedented government shutdown.

But what about the government contractors—the backbone of getting things done?

The media and politicians rarely talk about them. 

Too often, they are forgotten.

Earlier this year, GovCon Recruiting hosted a Job Hunting Summit to support both federal employees and government contractors impacted by DOGE, layoffs, and furloughs.

Here’s a quick preview of the sessions we offered—full replays are linked in the comments below.

If you know government contractors affected by the shutdown, please share this post with them.

Summit Highlights:

From Fed to Private Sector: Rebranding Yourself and Your Projects for Commercial Success with Kelli Hrivnak, Knak Digital

The Mindset Pivot: You Can’t Land a New Role With an Old Identity
Tony Martinez 

Next Mission: Translating Federal Experience into Private Sector Success
Junius Currier, Director of Talent Acquisition, Maximus

Optimize Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile
Marcelle Yeager, President, CareerValet

Recruiter Screenings Decoded: What to Expect and How to Stand Out
Stephanie Holman, M.Ed, Metrostar

Making The Pivot: Panel Discussion on Transitioning From Federal Sector to Corporate Benjamin Sheffield, Sarah Johnston, Anthony Roman, Clint Hawkins, and Ciara Nasuti

Resume Bootcamp
Alyssa Thomas, Managing Partner, Select Source Solutions

What’s Next?: How to Pivot with Purpose in the Federal Space
Tommy Weinert 

Thank you to GAMA-1 Technologies for helping set this up! 

Please check the comments for all session replay links!

Sharing these FREE resources can be a game-changer for someone impacted.

So make sure to repost and comment so people impacted can see it.

There’s a moment in this interview where Steve Finkel said something that hit me like a freight train:

“Recruiters don’t lose deals because they can’t find candidates.
 They lose them because they can’t CLOSE them.”

And he’s right.

AI can source.
Internal teams can source.
Junior recruiters can source.

But closing?

Real closing?

The kind that rewires fear, dissolves hesitation, and guides someone through one of the biggest career decisions of their life?

That’s rare.

That’s a craft.

And that’s the skill the best recruiters in the world have mastered.
In this new episode and in his new book Closing for Recruiters, Steve breaks down:
- The “College Professor Close”
- The Fear-of-Change Close
- Why major closes require combinations
- How to structure a closing call like a pro
- How to blend logic and emotion the right way
- Why top billers review every call like elite athletes
- And how these strategies increase billing 30–50%

This isn’t theory.

This is the real playbook used by the recruiters who consistently dominate their markets year after year.

If you’ve ever lost a deal you should have won…

or wondered why some recruiters just seem unstoppable…

This episode is the missing piece.

🎧 Part 2 is live. If Part 1 changed how you think, this one will change how you CLOSE.

 (Link in comments)

Thank you Atlas - the Recruitment Platform and Recruiters Websites for helping this episode possible!

July of 2024 I got to sit down for a podcast interview with Nicolas Greppo!

We talked through so many things about the ins and outs of recruiting.  

The French Market! 

Family.

And what really drives him.  

This week I got the opportunity to finally meet him in person and it was awesome! 

One of the coolest things about the podcast.  

It’s how it brings people together and the relationships it helps create!

Excited that he is going to be launching his own Data podcast soon!  ;) 

But it was finally to finally meet in person!!!

No alternative text description for this image

The difference between a $3M firm and a $300M firm isn’t luck.
 It’s the systems you build when no one’s watching.

Most recruiters never see what scaling really looks like behind the curtain.

They hear about big exits, valuations, roll-ups, and “multiples”…

…but nobody talks about the messy middle.

The years where the phone never stops.

The deals fall through.

The processes are duct-taped together.

And the only thing keeping the team moving is belief + sheer stubbornness.
That’s why my conversation with Jon Davis hit so hard on The Elite Recruiter Podcast.

Before he became a CEO of Signature Back Office Solutions, he was part of the leadership team that helped scale a staffing firm to over $300M — and kept every single employee through the acquisition.

No ego.

No shortcuts.

Just systems, service, and doing the unsexy work most recruiters avoid.

In this episode Jon breaks down:
🔥 Why contract revenue is the true engine of valuation
 (firms with 50%+ contract get wildly higher multiples)

🔥 How to launch a contract staffing division even if you're 100% direct-hire today

🔥 Why recurring revenue protects you in downturns, attracts buyers, and grows margins

🔥 The real M&A playbook: documentation, process, relationships, and team stability

🔥 What founders get wrong about scaling — and why “more recruiters” isn’t the answer

🔥 How EOR/back office partners let you scale lean without blowing up margins

(Shoutout to Atlas - the Recruitment Platform for sponsoring this awesome episode) 

But my favorite part?

Jon’s perspective that any recruiter — not just the big firms — can build a business worth acquiring if they commit to systems, consistency, and relationships that can’t be automated.

No hype.

No “secret hack.”

Just the truth from someone who’s lived it.

If you run a desk, a team, or a staffing firm (or dream of starting one)…
 this is the episode you’ll replay twice.

🎙️ Listen to the full episode links below and make sure to sign up to see him talk at the Sales and Business Development Summit kicking off Jan 2026. 

What’s one system YOU wish you’d built earlier in your recruiting career?

You have to figure out what works for you.  This was a great episode with Emily Audibert

Open article: From 6 Months with No Placements to Million-Dollar Biller: Emily Audibert’s Feminine Energy, RPO Strategy & Mindset Shift by The Elite Recruiter Podcast • 12 min read

From 6 Months with No Placements to Million-Dollar Biller: Emily Audibert’s Feminine Energy, RPO Strategy & Mindset Shift

All hustle and no systems is a recipe for burnout, not a business.
Derek Pittak has helped fix that at 40 Recruiting Firms!

taplio

The Battle

Clark Willcox

Benjamin Mena

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreClark Willcox's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreBenjamin Mena's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Clark Willcox

Benjamin Mena

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Clark Willcox's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreBenjamin Mena's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreClark Willcox's LinkedIn Performance